Improvement in animal-traps



2 Sheets--Seet 1.

W. S. WEST.

Animal Traps.

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Animal Traps. l N0.l52,537. l PatentedJune30,1874.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM s. wEsT, or .rLATTsMoUTH, NEBnAsKA.

IM'P'RO'VEM ENT VI'N ANI'MAL-TRAPS. j

Speciieationforming part of Letters Patent No. 152,537, dated June 30,1874 application filed October 24, 1873.

lb all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. WEST, of Plattsmouth, in the county ofCass and State of Nebraska, have invented a certain new and ImprovedAnimal-Trap, of which the following is a complete description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings `for illustration.

Figures l and 2 are side views of the trap. Fig. 3'is a'plan view. Fig.4 is an end view. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detached sections.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several views.

The nature of this invention relates to a rattrap, the construction,arrangement, and operationof which are as follows:

In the drawings, A represents the base of the trap, which'consists of ashallow oblong square box or harbor, in the end of which is a dropdoor,B, Fig. v4, held in position by the guides C. Along the edge of theupper side of the box is a pa-ssage or runway, D, which hascommunication with the box or harbor A by an open ing, E, Fig. 3, in thecorner of the roof ofthe box. A part of the cover of the runway is shownas broken =away, to show the inside. E', Fig. 3, is a swing-door hung inthe sides of the runway, and which closes the passage about two-thirdsof the depth thereof. The

rest of the way is closed by a plate, F, Fig. 2,

excepting a narrow space, a, between the lower end ot' the doorV andupper edge of the plate, as shown in Fig.- 2. In said ligure the end ofthe runway is shown as removed, in order to show the inside thereof. Thedoor E referred to opens in one direction only, and that indicated bythe arrow in Fig. 3. On the floor of the runway is a trip or platform,G, Fig. 3, hung on the shaft b, whereon it vibrates. To the short end cof the platform is hinged the plate F, above referred to, so that ondepressing the lower end of the platform said plate is raised upwardabove the open space a so far as to prevent the door from swinging. Thepurpose of said platform and door will hereinafter be shown. Section H,Fig. 4, is a continuation of the runway in a vertical direction. In thelower end of it is aguard, I, Fig. 7. Said guard consists of a pair ofprongs hinged to the side of the section at d, to allow of their beingpushed back against the side of the section, as indicated by the dottedlines e. The spring J is to prevent the guard from moving too easily,and to hold it inclined against the wall of the section, as shown inFig. 7. The upper end ot' the -section H of the runway is open for theadmission of light and air; the opening, however, is'secured by agrating, k, Fig. 3, to prevent the escape of the animals from the trap.Section L, Figs. 3 and 4, is a continuation of the runway in ahorizontal direction transversely across the box or harbor A, which thenAturns at a right angle, forming the longitudinal section Mot' therunway. In section L ofthe runway is arranged a swing-door and platform,substantially the same as that described as being in section D, and fora similar purpose, a view of which is seen in Figs. 3 and 6. In Fig. 3 Nis the platform, and 0 the top of the swing-door. A side view of thedoor is shown in Fig. 6; said door also opens forward in the directionthrough the runway indicated by the arrow, Fig. 4. An edge view of theplatform and door is shown in Fig. 4. P, Figs. l and 2, is a reservoir,in which terminates the runway by means of a short tube, Q. In saidreservoir is a revolving platform, It, Fig. 3. A portion of the top ofthe reservoir is shown as broken away, that the platform may be seen. A/is a partition, extending from the top down to a little below therevolvin g platform,as indicated by the dotted line d in Fig. 2. Saidpartition divides the platform in two sections, as will bevseen in Fig.3 5 the two sections revolve together. In the partition is an opening',G, Fig. 5; said figure represents a detached view of the partition. Theopening -is guarded by bars c c, between which is a spring, D. The upperend of said spring is secured to the partition, whereas the lower endterminates in a hood, e, in which is held the edge of the platform, andthereby prevented from revolving. E, Fig. 3, is a pulley secured to theshaft of the revolving platform, from which may depend a weight, F,attached to the cord f, Fig. 1; or an elastic cord may be used insteadof the weight hereinafter referred to.

The operation of the above-described trap is as follows: In the box orharbor is placed some straw, hay, or any material that will serve as aplace in which the rat or other animal may hide. The drop-door B, abovedescribed, is held up in the position shown in Fig. 4 by a rod, It,Fig. 1. One end ofthe rod is attached to the upper end of a vibratorystandard, F', pivoted in the foot G'; the opposite end passes throughthe hole fi, Fig. 4, in the door, and upon which the weight of the doorhangs. 'Ihe rod rests upon the piece a, as shown, thereby leaving alarge opening, H', for the admission of the animal into the box. To thelower end of the standard is secured a heavier rod, I', to which is hungloosely a small wire, m this descends through the top of the box to thebottom thereof, as indicated by the dotted line o. The bait is so placedin the box that the end of the rod or prop o will stand upon it, inwhich position the rod I' will be supported in a horizontal direction,as shown in Fig. 1. This will'hold the standard erect, and the rod halso in a horizontal direction, for holding up the door, as shown insaid Fig. l. The animal is attracted into the box not only by the bait,but lnore seductively by the stuff by which the box is partially filled,and in which the creature seeks a hiding-place. On disturbing the baitor displacing the prop m, the rod I' will fall and thereby withdraw therod h from out of the door the door will then drop, shutting the rat inthe box. The animal seeks toescape by passing up into the runway throughthe opening E, Fig. 3. Seeing light through the space a, Fig. 2, underthe door E', it seeks to escape thereby. The door yields to his pressureand he passes through, but cannot return, as the door will not swingback in the opposite direction, and, furthermore, no opening is seenunder the door, for when the rat steps upon the'platform it raises upthe plate F over the opening a., leaving no place to try to get through.The rat, seeing light ahead, goes forward and ascends section H oftherunway, and in so doing pushes back the guard l, which, when the guardis passed, it falls back again by means of the spring J, thereby cuttingoff the retreat of' the animal, which still goes forward, hoping toescape through the space seen under the drop-door O and platform N, aswas seen in section D of the runway, which in like manner opens to hisprogress and cuts off his return. The creature continues on to thereservoir, which it enters through the tube Q. 0n seeing the opening orwindow K' on the opposite side of the reservoir, it seeks to reach thesame by crossing upon the revolving platform It. In its effort to forceits way between the spring D' and the bar c of the partition to reachthe window K', the hook e is pushed from its hold on the platform, whichwill immediately revolve by the weight of the rat upon it, therebyprecipitating him into the water below, wherein the creature is drowned.The elastic cord f, or a weight and cord, will cause the platform torevolve in the opposite direction, and bring the edge thereof` into thehook e again, as before.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The harbor or box A and runways D, H, L, and M, in combination withthe reservoir P, when said parts are constructed and arranged in themanner described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The swing-door E' and plate F, arranged in relation to the runway D,and in combination with the trip or platform G, substantially in themanner and for the purpose specified.

3. In combination with the reservoir P, the revolving platform It, andsection thereof, B', partitionA', spring'D', pulley E", and cord andweight f, or its equivalent, substantially in the manner as and for thepurpose set forth.

4. The combination of the rod h, standard F', rod I', bait-wire on.,door B, and harbor A, in the manner as described, and for the purposeset forth.

WILLIAM STAUGHION WEST.

Witnesses l WM. L. HoBBs, l). W. MoKrNNoN.

